Dismountable bridge, for instance floating bridge



DISMOUNTABLE BRIDGE, FOR INSTANCE FLOATING BRIDGE Filed Feb. 26, 1960 in 3552:? ii v 1 Jnvenlor United States Patent l 3 Claims. (or. 14-47 The present invention relates to a dismountable bridge, for instance a floating bridge or dike bridge, with joint bars, the latter connecting two longitudinal girders disposed in series relative to each other in such a manner that a relative bending is avoided. I

In accordance with a prior proposal, this connection is brought about by means of shafts which are mounted in cross-bores of the longitudinal girders. The shafts are formed at both ends of each of the joint bars by means of axially movable coupling-bolts. Yet, in accordance with said prior proposal, the median portion of the joint bar is connected with two shafts sitting at the ends of both longitudinal girders, in such a manner,

that a hoolcmounted on the joint bar for vertical adof the cross-bar by means of coupling-bolts which are axially movable in cross-bores, which coupling bolts are operated from above, thereby eliminating the vertically adjustable hook. By this arrangement, a saving on weight and manufacturing expenses is brought about.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dismountable bridge, for instance a floating bridge,

wherein the manipulation of the joint bar is simplified by connecting the coupling-bolts by means of adjusting members movable in vertical direction by arranging of curved guides in order to bring about an axial adjustment of the coupling-bolts. This can be achieved in such a manner, that pins are provided on two coupling boltsv mounted in a guide sleeve, which pins project through slots of the guide sleeve and enter into slide slots of a collar constituting an adjustment member, which collar surrounds the guide'sleeve. The collars are suitably equipped with a pin for. their operation, which pin does not project above the surface of the joint bar in the coupling position and which can be drawn upwardly through openings of the longitudinal girders and/or of the joint bar for releasing the coupling.

Preferably, the joint bars have, in the same manner as in the prior proposal, seen from above, an H-shape in such a manner that after assembly always two cheeks of a joint bar engage therebetween one end of the longitudinal girder. The longitudinal girders are, preferably, formed as hollow boxes and are directly traveled on.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a joint bar and the adjacent parts of two longitudinal girders;

FIG. 2 is a partial section along the lines 22 of FIG. 1; and 7 FIGS. 3 and 4 are sections along the lines 33 and along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2, respectively.

Referringnow to the drawing, the joint bar has, seen from above, an H-shaped structure. It has two vertical cheeks l, which enclose therebetween the ends of two boxshaped longitudinal girders 2. connected together in the center by a vertically disposed stay 3, as well as on top by means of a horizontally disposed plate 4. The plate t has formed thereon flanges 5 which extend along the cheeks 1 and are aligned with upper closing walls 6 of the longitudinal girders Z, the same as the plate 4'.

For the connection of the joint bar with the two longitudinal girders 2, two guide tubes 7. are secured in each of the latter, which guide tubes 7 project through the longitudinal girders 2 crosswise from one side wall 8 to the opposite side wall 8. The center lines of all four guide tubes 7 are disposed in a common plane in the center between the upper and the lower side of the longitudinal girders 2. One of the guide tubes 7 of each of the longitudinal girders 2 is disposed in the adjacent vicinity of its outer end, that means, adjacent the stay 3 of the joint bar coupled with the longitudinal girder 2. The other guide tube 7 is disposed adjacent the corresponding ends of the joint bar which is coupled with the longitudinal girder 2.

Two coupling bolts 9 are mounted axially movable towards or away from each other in each guide tube 7. A pin in projects through each of the bolts 9, which pin 10 extends on both sides of the bolt 2 through two horizontally disposed slots 11 provided 'in the guide tube 7. The ends or" the pin 10 which project on both sides from the guide tube 7 engage curved slots lzdisposed in two vertical walls 13 of a collar 14 surrounding the guide tube 7. For both coupling bolts 9 of each guide tube '7, two pairs of the mentioned slots 12 are provided, one of the slots of each of said pairs being the mirror picture of the other of said slots. These slots are formed in such a manner that in the highest poistion of the collar 14, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the coupling bolts 9 are drawn completely inside of the guide tube 7 and that in the lowermost position of the collar 14, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, the coupling bolts 9 project so far from the guide tube 7, that they penetrate into corresponding bores provided in the checks 1 of the joint bar.

In order to operate the collars 14, vertical pins 15 are secured at their upper side, which pins 15 project through an opening 16 of an upper wall 6 of the corresponding longitudinal girder 2, which upper wall 6 is a continuation of the upper closing wall 6 of the longitudinal girder 2 and is disposed at a levelslightly lower than the upper closing wall 6. In addition, openings 17 are provided for the two pins 15 in the center of the joint bar and in particular in its plate 4, which extends over the upper wall 6* of the longitudinal girder 2 The pins 15 have bores 18 at their upper end which are adapted to receive any suitable means for pulling up wardly the pins 15. In order to make this possible, the openings 16 have enlargements 1Q disposed in longitudinal direction of the girders 2.

In order to bring about the coupling position, shown in FIG. 4, the collars 1d are pushed downwardly to such an extent, that the pins 15 do not project above the upper face of the upper closing wall 6 of the longitudinal girders 2, and of the plate 4 of the joint bar, respectively. It

4 of the joint bar, respectively,so that this position may Y easily be recognized.

The coupling and decoupling is performed exclusively from above, and in particular in the simplest manner. The coupling may be brought about simply by stepping The two cheeks 1 are down on the pins 15. Thus, complicated screw movements are eliminated.

Under certain circumstances, the axial movement of the bolts 9, for the purpose of coupling or decoupling, may be achieved also in any other manner, for instance by means of a wedge member which may be screwed in or out from above.

Hooks 29 are arranged at the ends of the cheeks 1, which hooks 20 are set from above on lateral pins 21 projecting from the longitudinal girders 2. By this arrangement, the longitudinal girders 2 and the joint bar are brought into proper relative position prior to the coupling step, in which position the guide tubes 7 are disposed coaxially to the corresponding bores in the cheeks 1 of the joint bar.

While we have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

We claim: I

1. A dismountable bridge, as a floating bridge or dike bridge, comprising a plurality of longitudinal girders disposed in longitudinal direction in series relative to each other and having vertical walls oppositely spaced apart from each other,

a joint bar of H-shape seen from above and connecting each pair of said girders disposed adjacent each other in said series,

said joint bar including a vertically andtransversely disposed stay member and two vertical cheeks spaced apart from each other to define an open space therebetween,

the abutting ends of each pair of said girders in said series projecting into said open space between said cheeks and said vertical walls of said girders engaging the inner faces of said cheeks,

each of said vertical walls of said abutting ends of said girders having two bores spaced apart from each other in longitudinal direction of said girders and aligned with said bores in said opposite walls,

each of said checks of said joint bar having two complementary bores aligned with corresponding of said bores of said girders,

a pair of guide bolts disposed in each pair of opposite bores of said vertical walls of said girders and movable towards and away from each other in axial direc tion, respectively, to enter into and withdraw from, respectively, the corresponding of said bores of said cheeks of said joint bar,

means disposed in said girders for positioning said guide bolts and moving the latter in axial direction towards and away from each other, respectively, and said means for positioning and moving said coupling bolts in axial direction comprising a guide tube disposed between each pair of said aligned bores of saidvertical walls of said girders and receiving the corresponding coupling bolts, 4

wall members straddling each of said guide tubes and,

thereby, said coupling bolts, pins extending through each of said coupling bolts, and said wall members being provided with curved guide means engaging said pins for movement of said coupling bolts in axial direction thereof upon vertical movement of said Wall members.

2. A dismountable bridge, as a floating bridge'or dike bridge, comprising a plurality of longitudinal girders disposed in longitudinal direction in series relative to each other and having vertical walls oppositely spaced apart from each other, a joint bar of H-shape seen from above and connecting each pair of said girders disposed adjacent each other in said series,

said joint bar including a vertically and transversely disposed stay member and two vertical cheeks spaced apart from each other to define an open space therebetween,

the abutting ends of each pair of said girders in said series projecting into said open sace between said cheeks and said vertical walls of said girders engaging the inner faces of said cheeks,

each of said vertical Walls of said abutting ends of said girders having two bores spaced apart from each other in longitudinal direction of said girders and aligned with said bores in said opposite walls,

each of said checks of said joint bar having two complernentary bores aligned with corresponding of said bores of said girders,

a pair of guide bolts disposed in each pair of opposite bores of said vertical walls of said girders and movable towards and away from each other in axial direction, respectively, to enter into and withdraw from, respectively, the corresponding of said bores of said cheeks of said joint bar,

means disposed in said girders for positioning said guide bolts and moving the latter "in axial direction towards and away from each other, respectively,

said'means for positioning and moving said coupling bolts in axiad direction comprising a guide tube disposed between each pair of said aligned bores of said vertical walls of said girders and receiving the corresponding coupling bolts andwall members straddling each of said guide tubes and, thereby, said coupling bolts,

pins extending through each of said coupling bolts,

said wall members being provided with curved slots,

said guide tubes having longitudinal slots and said curved slots of said wall members extending downwardly from an outermost point to an innermost point,

said pins extending through said longitudinal slots of said guide" tubes and simultaneously through said curved slots or" said wall members, so that upon vertical movement of said wall members, said pins are forced to move in said longitudinal slots of said guide tubes due to their movement in the curved slots of said wall members, causing an axial movement of said coupling bolts, and

each pair of oppositely disposed wall members comprising a collar which surrounds the. corresponding guide tube.

3. The dismountable bridge, as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said girders has an upper closing wall and the latter has a bore centrally disposed in vertical alignment with said collar of each of said guide tubes, each of said collars has a pin projecting upwardly from its top and extending through the corresponding of said bores in the non-coupling, inoperative position of said guide bolts and in the lifted position of said collars, and has its upper end face not higher than flush with the upper face of said upper closing wall in the coupling, operative position of said guide bolts and in the lowered position of said collars, respectively.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 272,87? 2/83 Fraser 292-37 1,094,962 4/14 Arens 292-37 2,636,191- 4/53 Odot 1 4 27 3,066,332 12/62 Sedlacek.

FOREIGN PATENTS 529,231 6/54 Belgium.

JACOB, L. ,NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISMOUNTABLE BRIDGE, AS A FLOATING BRIDGE OR DIKE BRIDGE, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL GIRDERS DISPOSED IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION IN SERIES RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING VERTICAL WALLS OPPOSITELY SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER, A JOINT BAR OF H-SHAPED SEEN FROM ABOVE AND CONNECTING EACH PAIR OF SAID GRIDERS DISPOSED ADJACENT EACH OTHER IN SAID SERIES, SAID JOINT BAR INCLUDING A VERTICALLY AND TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED STAY MEMBER AND TWO VERTICAL CHEEKS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER TO DEFINE AN OPEN SPACE THEREBETWEEN, THE ABUTTING ENDS OF EACH PAIR OF SAID GIRDERS IN SAID SERIES PROJECTING INTO SAID OPEN SPACE BETWEEN SAID CHEEKS AND SAID VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID GIRDERS ENGAGING THE INNER FACES OF SAID CHEEKS, EACH OF SAID VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID ABUTTING ENDS OF SAID GIRDERS HAVING TWO BORES SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID GIRDERS AND ALIGNED WITH SAID BORES IN SAID OPPOSITE WALLS, EACH OF SAID CHEEKS OF SAID JOINT BAR HAVING TWO COMPLEMENTARY BORES ALIGNED WITH CORRESPONDING OF SAID BORES OF SAID GIRDERS, A PAIR OF GUIDE BOLTS DISPOSED IN EACH PAIR OF OPPOSITE BORES OF SAID VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID GIRDERS AND MOVABLE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN AXIAL DIRECTION, RESPECTIVELY, TO ENTER INTO AND WITHDRAW FROM, RESPECTIVELY, THE CORRESPONDING OF SAID BORES OF SAID CHEEKS OF SAID JOINT BAR, MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID GIRDERS FOR POSITIONING SAID GUIDE BOLTS AND MOVING THE LATTER IN AXIAL DIRECTION TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, RESPECTIVELY, AND SAID MEANS FOR POSITIONING AND MOVING SAID COUPLING BOLTS IN AXIAL DIRECTION COMPRISING A GUIDE TUBE DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF SAID ALIGNED BORES OF SAID VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID GIRDERS AND RECEIVING THE CORRESPONDING COUPLING BOLTS, WALL MEMBERS STRADDLING EACH OF SAID GUIDE TUBES AND, THEREBY, SAID COUPLING BOLTS, PINS EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OF SAID COUPLING BOLTS, AND SAID WALL MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH CURVED GUIDE MEANS ENGAGING SAID PINS FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID COUPLING BOLTS IN AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF UPON VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WALL MEMBERS. 